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Unlike Europa, all voyages on Europa 2 are bilingual, with virtually everyone from servers to cabin stewards and lecturers able to speak English or provide translation. Ship highlights include four specialty restaurants included in the cruise cost, a bar boasting the largest collection of gin at sea, complimentary caviar nights and seven family-friendly connecting cabins, with kids' quarters stocked with toys. The Ocean Spa is a destination unto itself, with four sauna and steam rooms that are free to use, a relaxation area facing the sea, beauty salon, well-equipped workout area and a hideaway outdoor lounge area with whirlpool tub on Deck 11. After a hard day's activities ashore in places like Svalbard and Antarctica, don't be surprised if most passengers opt for a quick post-dinner drink and then head back to their cabins. Hapag-Lloyd primarily draws exclusively German-speaking cruisers, but a few ships in the fleet are marketed at the international market and on these you'll get a mix of well-heeled, well-traveled cruisers from Europe and North America.
Fleet
The international ships also draw a larger range of age groups as well, with kids clubs onboard to appeal to families. The German-only ships mostly attract people over 50, mainly couples, and at least one ship is designated as adults-only. There's no dress code, but passengers are usually smartly attired. Think upscale resort casual for daytime -- and we mean outfits that cost thousands of dollars, from names such as Bogner and Escada. (Ralph Lauren sportswear is considered low-end here, and the ship's boutique stopped carrying it.) There are no formal nights or captain's dinners.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises related cruise news
Evenings bring out expensive slacks and knee-length dresses for women, and sports jackets for men. The occasional cocktail dress is OK, but tuxedos or gowns are out of place on Europa 2. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is a German cruise line that operates smaller luxury ships on worldwide itineraries, along with three expeditions ships.
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Its contemporary good looks, museum-quality art and chic furnishings make it feel more like a luxe European boutique hotel than a cruise vessel. Hamburg-based Hapag-Lloyd Cruises aimed for a resort ambience with this ship, to cast a wider net beyond veteran cruisers. 2 ships of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises built for the international marketplace, ms Europa 2 and HANSEATIC inspiration, are scheduled to restart the operation of bilingual sailings from January 2022. The 5-stars plus ms Europa 2 commences the New Year in the Indian Ocean - on Reunion Island, Mauritius, and Seychelles; and heads on to South Africa, Cape Verde, and the Canaries, visiting Madeira and the Azores. The use of low-sulfur fuels in the Antarctic has been mandatory for a number of years and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises already uses marine gas oil voluntarily in sensitive regions like the Arctic and Kamchatka. In addition, the new expedition ships do not only feature an SCR catalytic converter reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by almost 95% but are also fitted out to use cold ironing.
Hapag-Lloyd cruising experience
Entertainment, beyond the specially themed classical festival, was also dated (a DJ in Sansibar, a folk band for special events, big-band dancing, etc.). Airfare and pre- and post-cruise stays are not included, but can be arranged. Those who book flights through Hapag-Lloyd get shuttled to and from the ship. Due to the COVID pandemic, Hapag-Lloyd suspended its entire fleet's passenger shipping operations (all liners) by canceling all voyages with pre-scheduled departures in the period March 18, 2020, through May 2021. The Europa 2’s new America itinerary also features multiple new ports of call, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Bahia Magdalena, Puerto Quetzal and more. This was the first time the ship connected to shore power outside of Europe, helping the cruise line to reduce CO2 emissions, the company said in a statement.
Hapag-Lloyd Europa Cabins & Staterooms on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
Hapag-Lloyd Europa Cabins & Staterooms on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Sun, 16 Jul 2023 00:26:05 GMT [source]
Where does Hanseatic Spirit sail from?
Its appeal is to younger, less luxury-minded cruisers, including families. The Hapag-Lloyd company was founded in 1970 as a merger between two of Germany's oldest steamship companies - "Hamburg-Amerikanische Packfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft" (Hapag) and "Norddeutscher Lloyd". Both companies were created in the 1840s for shipping freight and passengers via Transatlantic crossings between Germany and the USA. While Europa is in superb condition, the dated decor feels like a mid-1990's throwback. Bars and lounges are just "blah," and Europa lacks contemporary concepts -- such as more spaces for outdoor living and dining -- that we're seeing on other, newer luxury lines.
Group's average daily rates increased to EUR 178 euro (TUI, up from EUR 173), EUR 141 (Marella, up from EUR 131) and EUR 615 (Hapag-Lloyd, up from EUR 594). More information about our international cruises on the EUROPA 2 and the HANSEATIC inspiration can be found in our English catalogues. During its first cruise call to San Diego, Hapag-Lloyd’s ship Europa 2 was able to connect to shore power. The crew manages to provide an experience that is elegant and sophisticated, without being stiff or formal. When Hanseatic Spirit debuts in summer 2021, it will sail worldwide itineraries with a focus on the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
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Hapag-Lloyd Europa Dining: Restaurants & Food on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
Hapag-Lloyd Europa Dining: Restaurants & Food on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Fri, 14 Jul 2023 17:01:07 GMT [source]
We tested one of these bilingual cruises -- a Norwegian fjords itinerary with multinational appeal -- yet we were still one of only a few non-German-speaking travelers onboard. Plus, despite separate spaces for smoking and nonsmoking, it was hard to avoid smokers in the indoor lounges. Our international voyages (English/German) on the EUROPA 2 and on the HANSEATIC inspiration ensure that English-speaking passengers feel comfortable from the moment they step on board. All of the documentation, e.g. confirmation, travel documents, handbooks, programmes of the day, menus, announcements and lectures as well as the safety drill and Zodiac instruction will be provided in English. We offer at least one shore excursion in English in each port of call.
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The 11-deck vessel, which launched in 2013 and was refreshed in dry dock two years later, marks a radical departure for Hapag-Lloyd. It's less formal and more family-oriented than Europa, the company's flagship luxury vessel. Europa 2 also aims to attract English-speaking cruisers from beyond its German-speaking base.
Gratuities are also included in the cruise fare, but passengers can tip further if they wish to. On expedition cruises, exploring ashore is included, but on the non-expedition luxury cruise ships, you pay extra for shore excursions. Hapag-Lloyd's cruise ships offer onboard and in-port experiences that range from luxury to upmarket soft adventure.
Europa is a very dressy ship, with country-club resortwear favored during the day and three dress codes for nighttime guidance. There's casual-elegant (men are required to wear jackets) and elegant (ties required). On formal nights, tuxedos or dark suits are obligatory for every restaurant aside from the buffet venue. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. Hapag-Lloyd hopes international luxury travelers will make up more than 10 percent of Europa 2's passenger base, which now is just 7 percent non-German-speaking.
You are pampered with fine cuisine, exceptional service and roomy staterooms. It's the little things -- like live orchid plants that bloom in cabins and public areas, servers who offer hot towels and cool drinks to passengers returning from excursions and overnight shoe-polishing service -- that push this ship into the top category. Americans who sail on luxury lines might be put off by the fact that alcohol is not included (save for beer in complimentary mini-bars and spirits in mini-bars of higher-level quarters). Except for a welcome bottle of French Champagne, bubbly at the breakfast buffet and some drinks offered at shipboard fetes, you will pay for cocktails and wine at meals. (However, the line recently introduced an onboard beverage credit of up to 200 euros in free drinks, depending on cruise length.) There's also a charge for water and soft drinks consumed outside your stateroom.
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